Black Flagged Apex

Chapter 51





9:06 PM

Wilkes Barre/Scranton International Airport

Avoca, Pennsylvania



"This isn't funny, Karl."

Darryl Jackson gripped the handle next to the Lear jet's exit hatch and stared out at the line of unlit private hangars less than fifty yards away. The tarmac was dark, and their aircraft had sat conspicuously in the middle of it for the last thirty minutes.

"I understand your frustration, but there's been a development."

"There's always a development when you're involved. What kind of f*cking development are we talking about here? They were supposed to be here fifteen minutes ago!"

"Darryl, they can't risk coming to the airport. I can't get into it right—"

"And I won't get off this muthaf*ckin' airplane, carrying my guns, until your ass starts explaining some shit!" Darryl Jackson said, sounding more and more like Samuel Jackson by the second.

"NCTC was hit by a suicide bomb," Karl said.

"What are you talking about? How does this keep these a*sholes from coming to the airport?"

"The FBI thinks Sanderson's people were involved."

"I'm out of here. No f*cking way I'm turning over this gear to a bunch of fugitives."

"Darryl, please listen to me. The task force was wiped out by the blast. They lost everything and pretty much everyone. The backup servers were hit by a secondary explosion. True America crippled their efforts with this attack. The timing can't be a coincidence. True America shut them down like this for a reason."

"Then why doesn't the FBI take care of this?"

"Only a small group of agents within the task force knew about this covert operation. It's strictly off the books. Nobody else knows that Sanderson's people are in Pennsylvania. There's little chance that the FBI is watching the airport, but this mission is too important to take that risk. At least three of the operatives assigned to the mission traveled under their real identities."

"Are you f*cking kidding me? The FBI could be all over this airport. How long could it take for them to track them here?"

"Sanderson's people were arrested in Brooklyn at 8:47. The nearest field office is Philadelphia. All they have in Scranton is a resident agency stuffed into the post office building. It'll take them a little while to move the necessary pieces from Philly to Scranton. I can have you back in the air within thirty minutes if you'd quit arguing with me."

"If I'm arrested, Cheryl will hunt your ass down. No place on earth will be safe for you."

"If you're arrested, I'll gladly present myself to her for mercy," Berg said.

"You're better off running because there will be no mercy. You'd better hope this works out. She just agreed to have you over for dinner," Jackson said.

"Then you better be careful out there. There's more at stake here than I imagined. Is everything ready to roll on your end?"

"Yes. Three large duffel bags filled with goodies waiting to be transferred."

"Perfect. I've arranged for a car service to pick you up on Hangar Road, right behind the hangars. I'm looking at the airport on Google Maps. The first hangar in the long row is a white structure. There's a parking lot between that hangar and the next. The car will meet you on the road at the end of that parking lot."

"You're going to make me carry this shit?"

"Are you ever going to stop complaining?"

"Just make sure the plane is here when I return. This thing better be taking me right to Princeton," Jackson said.

"What about your car back in Fredericksburg?"

"Princeton. I expect a car to be waiting for me."

"Anything for you. Thanks, Darryl. Seriously."

"No problem. Just do what you can to keep me out of jail," Jackson said.

"I'll do my best. You're a little too soft for hard time."

Darryl leaned out of the hatch and surveyed the hangars, looking for the parking lot Berg had referenced. He could barely identify it in the darkness that swallowed the private section of the airport. The absence of lighting might work in his favor, especially since the airport's tower was visible from the hatch. The fewer witnesses to this transfer, the better.